Here’s proof that eventually I do use the stuff I pick up from eBay or resale places! I wrote two years ago about Good Housekeeping’s great idea of reusing sillcock wheel handles from outdoor faucets as kitchen cabinet pulls. It took us awhile to buy a house and start to redo its tiny kitchen, but we’re finally making progress. We didn’t have enough sillcocks for all of the cabinets to match, so we went for an eclectic look, then replaced the balance of the pulls with vintage-style (and super affordable) hardware from Target. A few other inexpensive touches are making a huge difference in our very small space — click for details and photos. –Mary T.

The first thing that had to go in our kitchen was the floor. We replaced blah beige vinyl with retro-style Marmorette in a multicolor-on-black pattern we had admired at a friend’s home. That particular pattern was phased out, but you can find similar styles from Armstrong or by perusing many posts on flooring at Retro Renovation.

We plan to eventually open up a wall for eating and breathing space, so for now we hung onto the old but serviceable white cabinets. A glossy red Marginal shelf from IKEA makes a convenient place to keep a rotating selection of coffee mugs in easy reach. An Asker magnetic knife rack, Ordning utensil holders and Bygel rail, also from IKEA, freed up valuable counter space. I’ve been experimenting with paint, starting with one wall of Winter Moss by Kilz Casual Colors, and adding a print by Frank Kozik that we weren’t sure about at first for the space — Too big? — but now I love.

I’m looking forward to eventually expanding our kitchen, but I’m pretty happy with it as it is for now.

[…] immediate suggestions for you. Why not consider faucet handles, like the ones that Mary T put up in her kitchen recently? She got the idea from Good Housekeeping and we all love the results. Or, for some straightforward […]

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